Waste measurement and tracking system

ABSTRACT

Invention is about a measurement and tracking system for providing the periodical waste collection service on the right time in the large cities. And it is also about for the quick intervention in negative situations in the waste container.

TECHNICAL FIELD

Invention is about a measurement and tracking system for providing the periodical waste collection service on the right time in the large cities. And it is also about for the quick intervention in negative situations in the waste container.

PRIOR ART

Waste containers provide easiness in the waste collecting business. Bigger containers inserted underground are started to be preferred against to small containers based upon the common studies in those days. To those containers, collection service is given on daily, once in two days or weekly period by the municipalities. In some areas and on some periods, if the waste container is full before the collection service period comes because of the high amount of waste, spread of the waste can cause health problems and visual pollution. Another situation is about the raising cost that municipalities have to carry because of the given collection service before the waste container gets full. The security of the containers is very important for the environment. Because environmental harm caused by a fire is a common problem which is started in the container. Besides, it is important to take precautions for gas pressures, physical, chemical, biological threads and similar dangers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In those days, the security of the containers which produced as smart container are provided with the security cameras. Besides, the weight change of the container is used in the determination of the fullness of the container. However, there is not a total security assurance because of the cameras do not have warning function. Total security can only be provided with a non-stop observing service for the security cameras. Even if it is provided, unfortunately, the gas pressure in the container cannot be determined with this way. The weight control cannot provide a successful result because mostly the volume of the objects are not directly proportional to their weights.

Invention depends on a calculation system of the empty area in the container by the ultrasonic laser and the other distance sensors. The system spots the top level of the wastes in the container, placed from bottom to top, and regarding to that spot calculates the empty area. Besides it also determines the factors like dangerous gas and temperature by the sensors. The energy that is needed for the sensors can be provided by the batteries which can be chargeable by the solar power. Also location determination and service planning can be done with the GPS.

For the containers that are placed nearly, we can make the other containers send data through a single container by a paid communication line, such as GSM. In other words, as a client logic, if there is a group of devices, they can send data to headquarters by connecting wirelessly to the device which has a modem on it.

Poisonous gases that need urgent intervention and society health, radioactive material or wastes, biological materials, wastes that spread unpleasant fragrances to the surround are determined by the sensors and the headquarters are notified about them. With that notification, the container is provided to get the service immediately.

LIST OF FIGURES

FIG. 1. General View of the Container

FIG. 2. General View of the Sensor System

FIG. 3. The View of the Parts of the Communication System

FIG. 4. The View of the Communication System

FIG. 5. The Diagram of the Process of the System

DESCRIPTION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

1. Container

2. Processor

3. Modem

4. GPS Modem

5. Software

6. Poisonous Gas Sensor

7. Fragrance Sensor

8. Volume-Distance Sensor

9. Other Sensors (Radioactivity, Biological, Physical (Heat etc.), Chemical)

10. Battery

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Invention consists of a processor (2) which is placed in a container (1), a control and communication unit which includes a modem (3), a GPS Modem (4), a software (5), and a measurement unit which includes a poisonous gas sensor (6), a fragrance sensor (7), a volume-distance sensor (8) and other sensors (Radioactivity, Biological, Physical (Heat etc.), Chemical). The measurements that gathered with the sensors are sent to the processor instantly and they are analyzed by the software. Then the information is transferred to the control center with the designated protocols.

The field factors of the system consist of telecommunication factors and central hardware-software and equipment.

Field Factors:

1. Containers (1) and Collection Centers:

There are sensor groups, processor and control card (circuit?), wireless transfer card (circuit?) (Receiver-Transmitter(ISM band and other radio bands)) and-or modem, GPS positioning circuits, battery group, charge circuits, solar panel and other supply circuits.

2. Staff—Vehicle Equipment and Software:

There is a wireless connection and a hand or vehicle terminal which can install the modem (3) and has a GPS modem (4) in it. There is a container that can gather the information from the collection vehicle and sensors groups and software or hardware (5) which are used in the collection center.

Telecommunication Factors:

GSM Network, Wi-Fi—Wimax Netwok, networks which can enable one way or multi-directional radio communications.

Central Factors:

Central Management, Query, Analysis, hardware (5) that runs the work flow, central data processing, components of registration and leading.

How the System Works:

Field System: System measures; the fullness of the collection centers and the collection vehicles which are in the containers (1) and locations, the fullness of the device's battery (10) and the situation of the power connection, the presence of the gases which can be a thread and/or their density, the intensity of the designated fragrance species, biological-chemical threads and their factors, the radioactivity level, the factors that would be needed in the narcotic and judicial procedures, vital symptoms with the help of the measurement system consists of poisonous gas sensor (6), fragrance sensor (7), volume-distance sensor (8) and other sensors (9) continuously or periodically. The obtained information are transferred to software (5) after they are classified by the processor (2) which is a unit of the central operations and the related processes are started.

Field System Sensors and Methods of Detection:

Detection of Fullness:

The measurement system of fullness is calculated by subtracting the measurable empty volume of the container from the recorded total volume of the container in the collection center or in the collecting vehicle. The measurement of the empty volume is executed by the area scanning or by the detection of the empty height. For scanning the full or empty area volume-distance sensor (8) is used. Volume-distance sensor (8) consists of ultrasonic, radar, laser and other distance measurement sensors.

To use that method, the pre-measured container (1) should be recorded to the central or field system processor unit or the container (1) that is going to be measured has to be measured and calibrated with the system when it is empty and the data, such as volume, height and weight, has to be recorded.

Detection of the Fragrance Emission and Separating the Factor-Material:

By recording to the system and calibrating the fragrance factor with the fragrance sensor (7), we can determine the annoying threshold in the ambient for a person or a society or closeness of the fragrance to that threshold and the type of the factor that creates the fragrance. Also with the molecule concentration measurement method poisonous—explosive gas detection can be provided with the help of the poisonous gas sensor (6). Fragrance measurement provides the information for separating the materials at the source, public health and its safety and defeating the threads, also the “urgent-privileged” information to work orders and collection plans for providing priority services.

Detection of Biological-Chemical Agents with the other sensors (9):

Biological sensors are used to detect biological agents in the ambient and in the air around the ambient. With the biological sensors, bacterial and viral pollution, control of the industrial waste water, protection of the environment and the control of the pollution, analysis of the toxic gas and military thread data can be provided to use in the processes.

Detection of the Radioactivity with the other sensors (9):

Detection of the radioactive materials in the ambient and its around is provided with the radioactive material detector which is integrated to the system. System measures the density of the radioactivity in the ambient.

With the system in the container (1), the radioactive factor is detected in the collection center and around, collection vehicles. Then the pre-defined processes is triggered.

Detection of the Vital Symptoms with the other sensors (9):

The detection of vital symptoms is provided with the infrared, heat, motion, sound sensors, thermal and normal cameras. Automatic detection can be done with the help of the operator or with the interpretation of the data from the sensor which is integrated to the system. So many processes can be started automatically according to interpreted data.

Detection of Stealing—Problem:

System can detect the stealing attempts and the problems with the factors like sudden power decrease or inconsistent data from the sensors. Then the detection of the problem process is started.

System Operation—Processes:

1. Instant Scene Processes

To start that process, the data triggers the factors in the environment or runs the alarm or any other detection factors on them, which is received from the direct connection on the field factor, radio receiver—transmitter or other connection protocols.

Trigger Mechanism

a) Field factor can automatically trigger the alarms which are placed in the factor or around it according the classified information from sensors.

b) It gives information, warning and alarm to the staff and vehicle equipment. The visitation place—time notes are sent to center by the vehicle—staff information process unit to use in management.

c) The city observation and information system can make instant image detection and it can start the other alarms and warnings if any stealing attempts for containers and dangerous waste information are occurred.

2. Central Processes

To start the process, field factors can connect to the modem (3) which is placed in the vehicle—staff system or any other container—collection center placed nearby and they can transfer the classified information to central software (5), to the operator or to the city information system.

Those processes

a. Central software (5) or operator classifies the information depending on location, fullness ratio, information class and warning level which come from containers (1), collection centers and vehicles.

b. In the light of the classified information (Urgency, importance), vehicle—staff route planning can be made dynamically or manually with the benchmarks like vehicle—container fullness ratio, economical operation. Work orders are generated. The plan can be changed according to instant requirements.

c. In the work orders, work orders are transferred to the vehicle—staff information process unit according to the plan. Presence of the risk—thread factors and additional orders can be added to the work orders. Collection vehicles and staff can be watched to determine if they are completed the order.

d. Cross check can be done with GPS, the data which are obtained from base stations and other location detection technologies.

e. If any information is gathered which needs emergency actions (vital symptom, physical—biological—chemical thread, radioactivity) processes can be started by sending a warning message to other public systems and authorities

f. By working with the city information system, the factors which are the source of the warnings can be detected with the image and other

g. The data is recorded to use in further processes and analysis. 

1. It is a waste measurement and tracking system consists of a control and communication unit to be used in the and central prosecutions that has a processor (2), a modem (3), a GPS modem (4), a software and a measurement system that has a poisonous gas sensor (6), a fragrance sensor (7), a volume—distance sensor (8) and other sensors (radioactivity, biological, physical (heat etc.), chemical) (9).
 2. The modem (3) mentioned in claim 1 is characterized by connecting to the modem (3) which is placed in the vehicle—staff system or any other container—collection center placed nearby and they can transfer the classified information to central software (5), to the operator or to the city information system.
 3. The software (5) mentioned in claim 1 is characterized by the feature of saving and transferring the obtained classified information from the central process unit, processor (2), to the necessary units with the control and communication unit factors in the central and field prosecutions.
 4. The measurement system mentioned in claim 1 consists of poisonous gas sensor (6), fragrance sensor (7), volume—distance sensor (8) and other sensors (radioactivity, biological, physical (heat etc.), chemical) (9).
 5. The poisonous gas sensor (6) mentioned in claim 4 is characterized by providing the poisonous—explosive gas detection with the molecule concentration measurement method.
 6. The fragrance sensor (7) mentioned in claim 4 is characterized by determining the annoying threshold for the fragrance which is pre-calibrated and pre-recorded to the system, for a person or for a society; or closeness of the fragrance to that threshold and the type of the factor that creates the fragrance with molecule concentration method and other methods.
 7. The fragrance sensor (7) mentioned in claim 4 is characterized by separating the materials at source with the concentration measurement method and other methods.
 8. The volume—distance sensor (8) mentioned in claim 4 is characterized by scanning the occupied or empty areas of the container (1), central or vehicle waste storage.
 9. The volume—distance sensor (8) mentioned in claim 4 consists of ultrasonic, radar, laser and other distance measurement sensors.
 10. The other sensors (9) mentioned in claim 4 consist of radioactivity, biological, physical, chemical sensors.
 11. The waste measurement and tracking method comprises the following steps: Measuring the occupied/empty are of the container, Detecting if any poisonous—explosive gases are exist in the ambient with the molecule concentration measurement method, Detecting if the fragrance factor which is pre-calibrated and recorded to system exists in the ambient at disturbing level, Detecting if the radioactivity, biological, physical and chemical factors exist in the ambient at dangerous level, Delivering the data which exceeds the critical threshold to the headquarters, If it is impossible to deliver to the headquarters, delivering it to the nearest transferring center, Leading the nearest vehicle or staff to the target by the central application. 